Wednesday, March 04, 2009

New Jersey Senator Menendez: Liberal Racist, or Conservative Hawk?

Intellectual lightweight and proud New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez is causing a stir in Congress these days, 'cause he's not getting his way on issues that may effect 0.001% of the state he allegedly represents. Let's go to the loathsome TPM for details:Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), a strong supporter of the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, is launching a full-on battle this week to remove several provisions from the 2009 government spending bill that would open a small crack in the slammed door of relations with Havana.

Menendez fired a broadside at the Obama administration yesterday for backing a provision buried in the $410 billion spending bill, which must become law by next week in order to keep the government running.The New Jersey senator, a Cuban-American, objects to language in the bill that would allow Cuban-Americans to visit relatives on the island once a year and end limits on the sale of American food and medicines in Cuba.

Menendez even suggested yesterday that he might oppose the spending bill if the Cuba provisions were not removed, saying in a floor speech that they "[put] the omnibus appropriations package in jeopardy, in spite of all the other tremendously important funding that this bill would provide.''Well, I have to admit a bit of ambivalence here. While I do not approve of normalizing relations with a country as despotic as Cuba, the fact is that 50 years of embargo have achieved absolutely nothing. Perhaps flooding the island nation with dollars would accomplish more than starving them? And, after all, their love of American automobilesis well-known, and who could use a boost more than the Bg Three? Like with Russia, perhaps the best breakthrough can occur not with bluster, but with cash, Levis, and MTV....But Menendez takes the hard line here, likely because he believes it is what his constituents want. And when I say "constituents", I refer to the Hispanic population of New Jersey - both legal and illegal - beacuse these are the only people he has worked for since being appointed/elected.Wonder how the remaining 99% of New Jerseyans would feel if they knew that Menendez forced a $473K earmarkinto the "stimulus" bill to support anti-American Hispanic hate group La Raza("The Race") while simultaneously voting to raise our taxes? Wait, don't answer that....Now here's where he pisses off TPM, and gets a laugh from me:Menendez's effort is no longer confined to the spending bill. The WaPo reports today thatthe senator has held up two Obama science nominees in an attempt to twist the arms of his fellow Dems...the nominees Menendez has chosen to hold are pivotal presidential allies in the push to regulate carbon emissions -- and Menendez has been admirably outspoken about the need to act on climate change. Sorry, let me amend my previous statement: He works for Hispanics and "eviorn-mental-ists" only, the other 99% of his constituents can go to hell. After all, what are they gonna do? Vote Republican? Bwahahahaaha!But of course, he's doing the right things - standing against the spending bill and the fallacy of global warming - for the wrong reasons (simply to soothe his illegal immigrant base). He'll cave and vote the way he must, eventually - he's a good little socialist foot soldier who will do what he can to throw his state and nation under the bus for the greater cause. But at least - for a brief, shining moment - he's actually representing me.Bet he's not even aware of it himself...

I agree that Sen. Menendez's blocking of the spending bill is disappointing and potentially disastrous, but I have to disagree with your characterization of "La raza."

The phrase when translated may seem alarming, but it was used by Chicano/Latino social and political theorists years ago to foster unity in the struggle for equal rights as well as pride in an identity that encompasses several ethnic groups.

The NCLR is an organization that seeks to improve opportunities for Latinos, and others affected by the same problems. It does this through policy work in areas like health, education, employment and civil rights, etc.